Spoilers Short Treks

[Rahul]

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Okay, I'm gonna' say something contradictionary:

1. These Short Treks look awesome (and the past few have been really great)
2. I actually don't like the Short Treks

Why? Very easy: I think they're wasting their best high concepts, instead of making them into actual episodes.

Like, how Saru left his planet? Tilly's first personal alien encounter? The fuckin' amazing 'Calypso'?

Those should have been fully fledged out episodes!!!
​

Because that's what Star Trek usually is: High concepts, made as episodes, explored with familiar returning characters. But now, instead of collecting their ideas to make good episodes, all these ideas are thrown into short 15 minutes bits that feel too short for the concept they're exploring ('Calypso' lacked a great deal of exposition, Saru's story characterisation). And all the "actual" episodes (at least on DIS) are nothing more than stretched out pieces and bits of one, single, larger more generic story about saving the universe.


Don't get me wrong - I really like the Short Treks as a vehicle to explore stuff Star Trek could never otherwise do (a story from the point of view of Harry Mudd), or to as a teaser for a show yet to come, or using as flashbacks for stuff the main series already walked past by (like, a L'Rell short set during the Klingon war, or the Mirror Universe story of Voq building his rebellion, or a peak into Burnham and Georgiou on the Shenzhou).

But Spock and No. 1 stuck in an elevator? Pike being held hostage? That should have been the A- and B-plot of an actual episode of the real Star Trek.

 

[Tosk]

Those should have been fully fledged out episodes!!!

Sometimes short stories are great because they are short.

 

[eschaton]

Sometimes short stories are great because they are short.

The average short story is about equivalent to an episode of television in terms of length of narrative.

 

[Tosk]

Either you've missed my point or I'm missing yours. Apologies if it's the latter.

 

[Rahul]

Yeah, I would absolutely love it if they did something like the MARVEL shorts from early in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Essentially just extended scenes.

What they're doing so far - trekking full fledged stories in just 15 minutes - simply leads to all parts coming somewhat short.

 

[The Wormhole]

Short Treks are fine just the way they are. Indeed, I remember after watching the one with Tilly and the queen thinking "hey, generic Star Trek fare accomplished in a fraction of the time as usual." About the only one I felt could have benefitted from more time was Calypso, mainly because it essentially introduces a whole new environment. But given the ones last year were expanded in the second season itself (aside from the Harry Mudd one) I can accept them as brief samplers for what's to come.

Maybe that won't be the case with this next batch, unless a Pike series really is going to be a thing, but meh. I'm okay with these kind of standalones being done in 15 minutes as opposed to being stretched out to 45.

 

[Rahul]

Short Treks are fine just the way they are. Indeed, I remember after watching the one with Tilly and the queen thinking "hey, generic Star Trek fare accomplished in a fraction of the time as usual."

For you it might have been "boring Trek fare".

But personally, I found it quite disappointing that DIS' very first "first contact"-encounter was relegated to outside the series itself, and the story reduced to the barest bones possible until there was nothing left except the trope-y plot points.

 

[The Wormhole]

Meh, it's a storyline that's been done a dozen times in the other five Trek shows. If Disco had to do it, I'm glad they chose to do it as a 15 minute short and save the proper length episodes of the show itself for something else.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

More Trek awesomeness! Those look great. Observations:

1. "No need to shout, Ensign Spock." Heh. Nailed young Spock.
2. Is Spock crushing on Number One?
3. Love the nod to the iconic scene of the tribbles cascading out of the storage unit.
4. Is that little girl eating a tribble? Looks like a cereal commercial.
5. Who is Pike talking to at the end when he says "Good luck out there, Captain". Does Number One get a promotion? Or is it s surprise? Is he handing the Enterprise over to her next captain?...

 

[Tuskin38]

They seem to be channelling some of the logical Number One here.

 

[Longinus]

These look great. And yeah, I have to agree with @Rahul here, many of the previous Short Treks had far more interesting concepts than actual Discovery episodes and the ideas would have easily supported a full length episode.

Also, there was several examples of blue Pike Enterprise uniforms without the black collar. Those looked good. I wish we get to see them in other colours as well. Also, it seems that the Disco uniforms are now completely ditched and everyone wears the tricolour style. That's good.

 

[chevron]

Just watched that Short Treks trailer. Loved the “no need to shout” moment. Put a smile on my face.

I’ll take an Pike era content they want to make, thank you very much,

 

[ElScoob]

Hmmm I’m surprised no one has mentioned that Most Important Discovery Of All Time Guy is H. Jon Benjamin...

 

[fireproof78]

Nothing wrong with the Short Trek format. If they were done as full episodes people would hate them.

 

[Skywalker]

I just think of Short Treks as regular episodes with the B- (and sometimes C-) plot(s) removed.

 

[tomalak301]

The thing I like about Short Treks is they can cover topics of a wide variety. I just hope they can perfect the method and make them look really good. They were starting to with the Suru short last year.

I'm looking forward to these and hope they are good.

 

[Longinus]

Nothing wrong with the Short Trek format. If they were done as full episodes people would hate them.

I don't think so. The best Discovery episodes were the ones where there was one, pretty distinct concept instead of just direct continuation of their inane main story arc (even if that concept was tangentially connected to the arc.) Expanded Short Treks would have been like that.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't think so. The best Discovery episodes were the ones where there was one, pretty distinct concept instead of just direct continuation of their inane main story arc (even if that concept was tangentially connected to the arc.) Expanded Short Treks would have been like that.

No, not with Discovery. Sorry, but I don't see them taking and stretching Short Treks out in a way that would be satisfactory to audiences the way Short Treks have been.

 

[Longinus]

No, not with Discovery. Sorry, but I don't see them taking and stretching Short Treks out in a way that would be satisfactory to audiences the way Short Treks have been.

Seems like I have more faith in the Disco writers than you do!

 

[fireproof78]

Seems like I have more faith in the Disco writers than you do!

For DSC, I have faith in them. Picard is not as inspiring for me.